The link is to a new Washington Times piece by John McCaslin quoting Kerry on CNN's Crossfire in 1997, when we are told Kerry said: "We know we can't count on the French. We know we can't count on the Russians. ... We know that Iraq is a danger to the United States, and we reserve the right to take pre-emptive action whenever we feel it's in our national interest." McCaslin also said that "no 'Crossfire' transcripts from 1997 are available" but that he recieved a tape of the show.

Only problem? Kerry never said it.

Media Matters has the full story of what Kerry actually said...along with the transcript!

In the wake of "Rather-Gate" has anyone yet heard the cries for McCaslin and Drudge to resign? McCaslin had the actual tape of the show, so why would he put quotes around what he knows full well that John Kerry didn't say? I think you know the answer.

Laws were broken in the Rather case, not so here. I'm sure this gentleman who works for the WaTimes will be disciplined. Certainly his story, while quoted by alot of bloggers (even me!), does not carry the gravitas of an national news broadcast. I don't see how this is "more lies", pretty much every other instance of Kerry flip-floppin has been documented. I've got to go drink some more kool aid now...

Scof, for a start, *if* laws were broken in the Dan Rather case, it was certainly not by Dan Rather. And all the Kool-aid drinkers now calling for a "CBS Boycott" and a Rather resignation etc., are not doing so because of broken laws.

As well, it would seem that Rather believed the story he was reporting to be true. Perhaps foolishly? Perhaps hastily? I don't know, but he was not purposely reporting a lie. McCaslin PURPOSELY REPORTED A LIE. Simply made up the story out of whole clothe. He had the tape, and yet he simply made up words for Kerry instead of transcribing what was both on the video tape in front of his eyes, and the transcript that he could easily have gotten from Lexus/Nexus.

Now the Rather story, has been highly publicized as containing errors. How much has the McCaslin story --- which was highlighted all day on the world's #1 Website (Drudge) and the #1 News Channel (Fox) and the #1 and #2 National Radio Shows (Rush/Sean) --- been publicized as being wrong? No, it was reported as right. And nobody will hear of the corrections.

And, like the bulk of the other referenced "Kerry flip-floppin" it's complete nonsense. But the impression has been sold, and bought by the American people. Erroneously. Mission Accomplished.

And now let's boycott CBS and Rather some more for having made an honest mistake, instead of an incidious and aggregious lie.

Laws were nroken? i have heard some righties mention that as well. Yet the man who gave them to CBS has not been arrested or questioned. Interesting. Apparently this Administration doesn't want to find the ultimate source of these documents. That, and perhaps, the fact that a memo to file is not really a federal document. forging it wouldnt be as illegal (actually not illegal at all) as say leaking the name of an undercover CIA agent.